The League of Canadian Poets has released the longlists for their annual Book Awards. The three prizes are each valued at $2,000, with winners selected by a three-person jury. The League of Canadian Poets is a non-profit dedicated to promoting Canadian poetry and artistic expression.
2021 Gerald Lampert Memorial Award (presented for a debut poetry collection)
Jury: DA Lockhart, Nisha Patel, and Phoebe Wang
- The Response of Weeds, Bertrand Bickersteth (NeWest Press)
- Burning Sugar, Cicely Belle Blain (Arsenal Pulp Press)
- the gospel of breaking, Jillian Christmas (Arsenal Pulp Press)
- The Lost Cafeteria, Joel Robert Ferguson (Signature Editions)
- ZOM-FAM, Kama La Mackerel (Metonymy Press)
- I Am Still Your Negro, Valerie Mason-John (University of Alberta Press)
- Washes, Prays, Noor Naga (McClelland & Stewart)
- Where Things Touch, Bahar Orang (Book*hug Press)
- Bones, Tyler Pennock (Brick Books)
- Bittersweet, Natasha Ramoutar (Mawenzi House)
- Tablet Fragments, Tamar Rubin (Signature Editions)
- Pluviophile, Yusuf Saadi (Nightwood Editions)
2021 Pat Lowther Memorial Award (presented for a book of poetry by a woman)
Jury: Puneet Dutt, Doyali Islam, and Cassidy McFadzean
- Burning Sugar, Cicely Belle Blain (Arsenal Pulp Press)
- Sick, Jody Chan (Black Lawrence Press)
- the gospel of breaking, Jillian Christmas (Arsenal Pulp Press)
- Black Matters, Afua Cooper (Roseway Publishing)
- The Outer Wards, Sadiqa de Meijer (Véhicule Press/Signal Poetry)
- A Map of Rain Days, Jennifer Hosein (Guernica Editions)
- Body Count, Kyla Jamieson (Nightwood Editions)
- Waking Ground, shalan joudry (Gaspereau Press)
- Pineapple Express, Evelyn Lau (Anvil Press)
- The Dyzgraphxst, Canisia Lubrin (McClelland & Stewart)
- Washes, Prays, Noor Naga (McClelland & Stewart)
- footlights, Pearl Pirie (Radiant Press)
2021 Raymond Souster Award (presented for a book of poetry published by a League member)
Jury: Cheryl Antao-Xavier, Jacob MacArthur Mooney and David Martin
- The Outer Wards, Sadiqa de Meijer (Véhicule Press/Signal Poetry)
- Hell Light Flesh, Klara du Plessis (Palimpsest Press)
- Niagara & Government, Phil Hall (Pedlar Press)
- The Fool, Jessie Jones (Goose Lane Editions)
- The Dyzgraphxst, Canisia Lubrin (McClelland & Stewart)
- The Whole Singing Ocean, Jessica Moore (Nightwood Editions)
- Bones, Tyler Pennock (Brick Books)
- Burning Province, Michael Prior (McClelland & Stewart)
- Lullabies in the Real World, Meredith Quartermain (NeWest Press)
- Nautilus and Bone, Lisa Richter (Frontenac House)
- Junebat, John Elizabeth Stintzi (House of Anansi Press)
- Word Problems, Ian Williams (Coach House Books)